Julia Richman Education Complex

Built in 1923, the school‘s high ceilings, spacious hallways, marble floors, and 1400 seat auditorium were designed to inspire the generations of young women who attended this once prestigious high school. By the mid 1990s, however, Julia Richman was identified by the Board of Education as having the worst statistics of student achievement in Manhattan. Only thirty-seven percent of its students actually graduated.

In 1992, as part of a national movement towards smaller schools, the Board of Education closed Julia Richman High School and reopened it as the Julia Richman Education Complex, home to six small public school communities. Over a ten-year period, the Board of Education pledged funding for approximately $30 million worth of renovations.

In reinventing itself, the school became a national model for how to successfully create schools-within-schools. Hundreds of visitors from across the country and abroad have visited the Julia Richman Education Complex to learn how a large, older city school building can be effectively redesigned into a safe space that promotes academic excellence.

One Building; Six Schools

The high school complex is made up of six distinct and autonomous entities including: Ella Baker—a pre-K to 8th grade school that gives priority to children whose parents work in the community; P226M—a middle school for children with autism; Manhattan International High School—a high school for immigrant students in the country less than four years; Talent Unlimited—a performing-arts high school; Urban Academy Laboratory High School—a second-chance school for transfer students and Vanguard High School a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools.   

Each of the six schools serves the needs of its students in distinct ways; each is autonomous, with its own educational mission, admissions requirements, teaching staff, and self-contained spaces. In addition, each school is an integral part of a carefully designed educational community.

Autonomy provides the freedom to organize and decorate spaces to fit each school‘s needs and establish a unique school culture.  Concurrently, teachers and students have access to facilities frequently reserved for larger schools. The JREC community benefits from many specialized classrooms including a mini-theater, dance and ceramic studios, a distance learning facility, and a culinary arts room.   

Making Change Happen: Engaging the Community

JREC‘s redesign was the product of collaboration between teachers, students, parents, the Board of Education, private foundations, and educational planners.  In the initial stages, it was critical to rebuild the community relationships that had been severed during Julia Richman‘s most tumultuous years.  During these years, it was common for storeowners to lock their shops at dismissal and neighbors had little, if any, interaction with Julia Richman staff or students.  It was at this low moment, that school practitioners joined forces with the local school superintendent, members of the Friends of Julia Richman, and foundation contributors to propose a new way to save a failing high school by redesigning it into an education complex housing multiple schools.

Local non-profit organizations and businesses are integral components of JREC schools‘ academic programs. Students complete internships and community service at the neighboring New York Public Library, nearby museums such as the American Folk Art Museum, and volunteer their time at local homeless shelters, animal welfare agencies, and elderly homes.

JREC‘s inception marked the beginning of many newfound community partnerships. These relationships have provided excellent additions to student‘s academic programs and in several cases financial resources for the facility. The JREC art gallery, library, and high-tech sound s

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